Previewing and predicting this weekend's top high school basketball games

The holiday tournaments are a wrap. The sole focus over the next six weeks are conference clashes and prime time shootout showdowns. There is a mixture of both this weekend. Here are previews and picks for six of the top matchups.

Season record: 11-2

No. 9 New Trier (13-3) at No. 16 Evanston (12-3), Friday

A true, legitimate rivalry heats up when both are ranked. That’s true here in this always engaging matchup in the north suburbs where there is so much history.

But it does lose some sizzle when the game’s featured player, New Trier’s Christopher Kirkpatrick, is out with an injury.

As the Trevians navigate life without a 20-point scorer, the focus turns to senior Danny Houlihan’s expanded game and emerging 6-8 freshman Denym Wallace. Both are putting together outstanding seasons. The question that looms is how does New Trier handle defensive pressure thrown at them with the absence of their point guard?

Due to just one returning starter from a year ago, this Evanston team is in the midst of sneaking up on some people. Coach Mike Ellis’ spread-the-wealth offense, one that’s potent and features some hot perimeter shooting, is led by sophomore Ben Ojala, juniors Deon Lane and Vitto Rocca, and senior Timi Ogunsanya.

The pick: Evanston 68, New Trier 63

No. 17 Mount Carmel (11-5) at No. 8 Loyola (15-2), Friday

Remember, this is a Mount Carmel team that graduated all five starters from a year ago. But here they are as a ranked team playing in a meaningful midseason game.

The talented young players for the Caravan, including the freshman combo of 6-3 guard Ronald Johnson and 6-5 DK Heard, now have some varsity experience. And junior Logan Wessel is fresh off an all-tournament performance at Pekin.

However, this one is on the road with the stakes raised in a key Catholic League battle.

With seniors Trey Williams and Sam Golden and junior Luke Alvarez, Loyola has more offensive punch than it’s given credit for while also playing its typical clampdown defense.

As long as Loyola isn’t caught looking ahead to its opportunity to take down No. 1 ranked Benet on Saturday, the Ramblers should take care of business.

The pick: Loyola 50, Mount Carmel 41

No. 13 Waukegan (12-4) vs. No. 7 Marist (15-1) at DePaul Prep, Saturday

Both of these teams won holiday tournaments late last month. Waukegan took down Hersey in the Elgin title game while Marist beat previously unbeaten Centralia in the championship game at Centralia.

But both are very talented, capable of putting up points and go about their business with a balanced approach.

The Waukegan trio of point guard Carter Newsome, 6-4 wing Simereon Carter and 6-7 Jaali Love all have the ability to take over a game. Marist, meanwhile, had seven different players score in double figures while winning at Centralia last week, including tournament MVP Charles Barnes.

Marist has been steady and consistent, losing to only out-of-state foe Sidwell Friends from Washington, DC, while showing more resolve defensively. Waukegan has been a bit more of a mixed bag, with some high and lows, including a 86-61 thumping at the hands of Kankakee last weekend.

The pick: Marist 69, Waukegan 62

No. 3 Curie (13-1) vs. No. 11 Bolingbrook (9-4) at DePaul Prep, Saturday

Curie’s resume is impressive. There are wins over Oswego East, New Trier, St. Ignatius, Lockport, St. Pat’s and Warren. The Condors picked up a nice win Thursday over Marshall County out of Kentucky. And the lone loss came to top-ranked Benet, though it was a 74-41 defeat last week.

Senior Justin Oliver continues to lead the Condors, while Michael Oliver, Jr., Kendall Holiday, Josh Hurley and Saquan Cummings all chip in. Curie must be able to shoot the ball better than it has recently.

Bolingbrook is in a precarious position. There was the unorthodox travel to Hawaii in December for a tournament, where the Raiders went 2-2. They then went nearly two weeks without a game before falling to Nicolet out of Wisconsin. There has been illness and injury, including senior guard Trey Brost, a veteran who impacts winning. Brost is out indefinitely.

The pick: Curie 65, Bolingbrook 61

No. 1 Benet (17-1) vs. No. 8 Loyola (15-2) at DePaul Prep, Saturday

The Redwings have been tested and have passed those tests with flying results, winning the Pontiac Holiday Tournament in style. But how will Benet handle the sudden rise to No. 1 and the bulls-eye that comes with it?

The good news is the core of this team, guard Jayden Wright, 7-footer Colin Stack, Ryan Walsh and 6-8 junior Ed Stasys, have now been through so many big games over the past year.

Loyola’s only in-state blemish came to DePaul, which was ranked No. 1 when it faced them in December. Now the Ramblers get another shot at a top-ranked team.

The pick: Benet 52, Loyola 45

No. 20 Kenwood (10-4) at Peoria Richwoods (12-2), Saturday

A promising but still figuring-it-out Kenwood team is in need of a pick-me-up. The Broncos have dropped three straight, including two Public League matchups this past week, after jumping out of the gate with a 10-1 mark.

Kenwood, which is led by the junior tandem of Damari Stephens and Osiris Bell, will have their hands full at Richwoods. Stephens and Bell provide a bulk of the scoring, but a pair of seniors, 6-7 Prince McCord and guard Jordan Walker, will be needed if an upset win on the road is in the cards.

This is a Richwoods team that is rolling and is a threat to reach Peoria this March in Class 3A. The Knights rumbled to a Pekin Holiday Tournament title behind tourney MVP Amarion Smith-Holley. They then took apart St. Laurence by 20 points last weekend.

Smith-Holley, one of the top sophomores in the state, dazzled at Pekin, scoring 35 in a win over Crane and averaging 23.5 points a game in the four wins. Fellow sophomore Anfernee Moore and senior Tony Bradford form a talented trio with Smith-Holley.

The pick: Richwoods 66, Kenwood 58